Looking to spend a night in a charming log cabin that feels like it
is in the middle of nowhere but is actually only a mile from the
trailhead? Even better, what if your cabin is right smack in the middle
of an awesome cross-country ski area and the only way to get there is
to ski or snowshoe? If this sounds up your alley, you might try the
Wild Cat or Spooner Log Cabins at Spooner Lake Cross-Country Ski Area
in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. During the summer and fall, Spooner
Lake provides access to the Flume Trail and the Tahoe Rim Trail, but
during the winter, Spooner Lake is a thriving cross-country ski
area—the only groomed cross-country ski resort in
Nevada—with 80 kilometers of trails. Spooner’s trails
provide access to frozen-over Marlette Lake and Saint’s Rest,
which affords Lake Tahoe views that rival the Flume Trail.
Spooner’s hand-hewn log cabins were built from downed trees
dragged to the building site. The cabins are rustic but very charming.
There are no showers—several gallons of drinking and cooking
water per day are carried in—but the cabins do have an odor-free
compost toilet, gas stove, beds, coffee and cocoa. You bring in all
your food and everything else you need (and can carry on your back)
because once you get there, the only reason you will want to leave is
to ski.
My favorite cabin is the smaller of the two, Wild Cat, which is
situated in an opening on a little knoll among the pines. It’s
about two miles and several hundred feet in elevation from the
trailhead at Spooner Lake. I spent a wonderful summer night here
several years ago on day six of a through-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail,
which is just a few miles away. Set away from the North Canyon trail,
which heads up to Marlette Lake, Wild Cat is very private with a view
of Emerald Bay over granite boulders.
While enjoying your escape, be sure to peruse the several years
worth of guest books detailing the romantic adventures of past
visitors. Apparently, people can’t seem to resist proposing
marriage when they get here. The cabin is a perfect size for a couple,
but two adults and two children could fit snugly.
The Spooner Lake Cabin is situated above Spooner Lake, just
three-quarters of a mile over level terrain from the trailhead. The
cabin is similar to Wild Cat but larger, providing sleeping for up to
four adults and two children. While the cabin is close to the trail
network and is quite accessible, it is not clearly visible. If the
two-mile ski or snowshoe with lots of food and gear up to Wild Cat
seems a bit daunting, the shorter and easier jaunt to the Spooner Cabin
may be more your style.